Second Chances
by Fallenwolfe
Summary: A marine dies and gets a choice of his after life. He chooses a place of peace and harmony, little does he know that he gets sent to Equestria. Will he be able to adapt to his unnaturally peaceful life or will his inner demons and painful memories of death and destruction cause him to ruin his chance at a second life. 1st person, M for racial slurs, some minor violence and sex.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

Yea, I'm back, we'll see how long that lasts. Anyway my buddy S1K got me into MLP so I decided to see what I could come up with.

So please, sit back and enjoy the read and if you think its a shit (opposite of the shit) then let me know so I can fix it. Not sure how many chapters this is going to be, probably only a few cause I get bored quickly.

(and if you think I need to put in a disclaimer saying that I don't own MLP other than whatever OC's I decide to pull out of my ass then you're higher than pinkie pie eating a strawberry cupcake laced with purple kush.)

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**Chapter 1: Flashbacks, PTSD, and talking ponies?**

"Hey Marine! What the fuck are you doing!?" startled from my thoughts I spun quickly to face the man yelling at me. Instantly I glanced at his collar, noting his rank, an easy enough task to do in desert cammies. Instantly I snapped into a recruit style parade rest.

"Surveying the area to find the best arrangements to emplace obstacles, Gunnery Sergeant." My response was immediate and I threw in some big words, hoping it would make me sound more confident and he would leave me alone, luckily it worked.

"So you think you're an engineer huh?" trying to act tough, instead of admitting his mistake, he crossed his arms over his barreled chest and glared up at me.

Impassively I looked him in the eye, hiding the annoyance building in me, "Yes, Gunnery Sergeant, Lance Corporal Swift, I'm with 1st Platoon from Alpha Company."

He sniffed and uncrossed his arms, "Very well, carry on devil, and just remember I'm blaming you if a hajji-bob comes strolling through our line with a party wagon full of anthrax."

It took a great deal of discipline not to roll my eyes at his stupid accusation, "Aye, Gunnery Sergeant." Finally he strolled away; it wasn't long before I could hear him blasting another Marine for something equally pointless. It was men like that, that made me hate the Corps. Sometimes I had daydreams about stepping on an IED or getting sniped, just to see if I wouldn't have to listen to that every day in the afterlife. _Of course I bet I would die and go to hell, knowing my luck and it would be nothing but a room full of staff NCO's and Officers waiting to blast my ass there too._

I huffed and shook my head, turning back to face the endless plain of dirt, dust and more dirt. I wondered whose genius idea it was to build a FOB (forward operating base) here; the place was a strategical nightmare. Unfortunately, being only one of three 1371's (combat engineers) assigned to this unit it was basically my job to do everything, cause the Staff Sargent and Gunny certainly weren't gonna' bust their asses to help.

Whatever, I had a job to do, so it was time to stop bitchin' and get to it. Carefully I took notes on every depression and bush in sight, writing down my observations in my field book, as well as a horrible doodle of what I though it looked like from an aerial view. In the doodle I made marks where I thought the fence line, ditches, and wire obstacles should be placed. After I had finished I went to the other sides one by one and repeated the process. It took me nearly half an hour to finish my notes and as I finished I removed my bright yellow hardhat and wiped the sweat from my forehead as the Afghan sun began to rise over the horizon.

I kept the hardhat in my hand as I slowly paced my way over to the command tent so I could hand in my notes. On the way I glanced down at the hardhat over and over again, whoever thought that the engineers should where bright yellow hardhats must have been fuckin' high. Any raghead with a half decent rifle could have spotted our glowing domes from a mile away, making us easy targets for the greasy bastards.

That thought had wormed doubt into my mind as I warily glanced over my shoulder, scanning the distance for any sign of insurgents. Far off I could see a black speck, but it quickly disappeared and I told myself to snap out of it, it was only paranoia. I hadn't gone two more steps before the loud retort of a high caliber rifle echoed across the flat desert plains. My last thought as I saw the ground rushing toward my face was simply, FUCK!

I've read how others describe the afterlife, some say it was dark, and some say it was bright, but for me… It was soft. Even to me that sounded pretty gay, but that was the best way to describe it. It felt like a gentle breeze was drifting through and the temperature was slightly warm, but whenever I tried to focus on one or the other the feeling disappeared, so I just contented myself by closing my eyes. There wasn't anything to see anyway so I just half sat, kind of floated there, doing nothing, waiting…

An eternity had felt like it had gone by or maybe it was only a few minutes, but a voice finally spoke out. "I apologize to have kept you waiting for so long human; this war of yours has kept me extremely busy." His voice, which was clearly male, was deep and powerful, but not loud. However I could tell that whoever it was carried the authority of judgment in his hands.

_ Well I was already dead so fuck it, I might as well grab my balls and grow some confidence_, "It's no problem sir, I'm used to waiting around until somebody decides to tell me where to dig."

The voice chuckled and there was a slight glow as a dim light spread through whatever existence I was in. My jaw dropped as a massive man with the head of a jackal appeared. "Anubis?"

The jackal impassively looked at me, "Yes, and no. Some people call me the grim reaper, others call me death or the grey lord, it changes depending on the religion, but since you have no religion I can choose whatever form I wish, so I chose the one you respected the most."

Puzzled, I scratched my neck as my ever burning curiosity got the better of me, "Why would you give two shits what mortals care for, you're a god?"

Anubis laughed and kneeled as he looked down at me, "Because the balance of the universe must always be upheld, if mortal creatures didn't have something to believe in, then they would all spend a pointless eternity in limbo, and then it would become crowded, and the universe would tip over. Not literally of course but bad things would happen, anyway you're not here to talk to me, you're here to decide your next life."

Momentarily caught off guard I looked at him blankly, until I could process the thought, "You're saying I get to choose? Why, I'm by no means a good person, I don't deserve that…"

Anubis stood up and crossed his arms, his powerful muscles rippling like water under his black furred skin, "Are you saying you want to spend an eternity in torment?"

I shrugged, "I'm not sayin' that, I'm just wonderin' is all."

"Because of balance, do you honestly believe you are a bad person?" I stayed silent, knowing that any answer I could give might press his judgment unfavorably. Amused he shook his head, "From the moment you entered here I have read your memories, your thoughts, and the kind of person you are… You left your family and friends who loved you and looked up to you to defend millions more who will never even know you existed. You've placed your life on the line, knowing full well it could end at any moment, but you chose to keep fighting, why?"

Ashamed I looked him in the eyes, "I left because I was selfish, because I never believed anyone knew I existed anyway, I thought that if I could die I might as well had something to show for it."

He nodded approvingly, "I know this, although your actions were selfish in the beginning you could have given up at any time, you could have run away, but you chose to be a better man. Are you the same man you were when you made those selfish decisions?"

I shook my head and rolled my shoulders back as I answered him, "No."

"And now our argument has ended, you left your old self behind to be a new, selfless man, one who fought not to die, but so his friends, family and fellow countrymen could live, that is the ultimate sacrifice. That is why you choose your afterlife, because selfless acts must be balanced with peace and the selfish must be punished with agony, now choose, there are many other dead waiting to be judged."

A smile crept its way across my face, all that hard work had finally paid off, "Well, I don't care where I go, I'm just tired of all the hatred and fighting that people bring upon themselves, if possible I would like to go somewhere without pain and hatred.

The immortal judge nodded in understanding, "Very well, however you must know that there is nowhere in the universe where there is only peace and harmony, but I can send you to a place that counteracts Earth's hatred and war."

There were no flashing lights or twinkling bells, no fanfare or ringing chimes. It was just as if I had woken from a dream…

"Ooh, what do yeh think it is Applejack?"

And into another dream…

"Ah don' rightly know Applebloom, go an' fetch Twilight, maybe she'll know what in tarnation this creature is?"

Groaning I sat up and looked around. I was on a ranch from what I could tell, but everything seemed off. The colors of the sky, grass, trees, the barn, everything looked as if I had just woken up in a cartoon. Even the horses looked like they were in a cartoon. I could tell from living in rural Nebraska growing up that the two standing on either side of me were some breed of pony, but one was a mare and the other a stallion. The mare's coat was a light brown almost tan colored and her mane was golden blonde, done in a braid, and for some reason she was wearing a brown Stetson hat. The stallion on the other hand was powerfully built and his coat was a bright red while his mane was a light shade of orange.

"Well it's awake, watcha think we oughta do with em' Big Mac?" I looked around searching for the owner of the voice, confused I rubbed my head, it was throbbing painfully and the memories I had of the, who was it again? They completely faded and I could no longer recall how I had gotten here.

"Aahh dunno, yeh reckon it's intelligent, looks that way ta me sis, mayhap it ken talk too?"

My head was aching, I'd never been shot before, but if I had then this is what I imagine it would feel like, "Well I never would have guessed that ponies could talk, I guess that's cool, um I don't spose yall know where I'm at do yeh?"

They looked at me with wide eyes and shifted nervously, staring at each other then back to me. Awkwardly I rubbed my head, trying to ease the pain and in doing so I felt a small patch of rough skin, the contact brought back a memory flashing through my eyes.

A yellow hardhat, a black speck in the distance, the ground rushing toward me. Suddenly I remembered that I should be dead, I was killed somewhere, long ago, but I couldn't remember a damn thing. Frustrated I let out a burst of air and focused back on the ponies, they were looking at me funny, finally the tan one spoke up, "Um, are yeh all right there partner?"

Irritated I shook my head and tried to stand, the world spun as I lost my balance and fell, staring at a beautiful, clear blue sky, so I just lay there as I responded weakly, "No, not really. I should be dead but somehow I'm not and instead I wake up in a land of colorful talking ponies that look like they came from a children's cartoon…"

The entirety of it all nearly overwhelmed me, I considered myself a very open-minded person, but this was almost too much, I laughed as I imagined how the other guys in my unit would take it. _Wait, my unit!? I remember, I was some sort of soldier, but where? Dammit, what's wrong with me!? _

Suddenly there was a bright flash of purple light and a loud crack, instinctively I rolled to the side and sprang to my feet. I scanned the area for any sort of cover, but there was nothing within reach, so I did the best I could with what I had and ripped my brown MCMAP belt from the loops around my desert patterned cammies and stood ready.

Foolishly I stood there, facing off against a lightly purpled coated…_is that a unicorn!?_

The unicorn looked at me and blinked several times, then turned to the Stetson wearing mare, "So this is what Applebloom was so excited about, wow, I've never seen anything like this before!" Suddenly she trotted toward me and that's when another memory came rushing forward.

Operation Phantom Fury: Initial push into Fallujah

"Jesus fuck, I fuckin hate this heat…" I muttered low enough that none of my squad mates could hear but I cursed over and over again, needless to say, I was on edge. Warily I held my M16A4 at the ready, furtively scanning the windows of the first and second stories of the mud-brick building. After finding no trace of movement I continued toward the door with utmost caution, knowing that we could be ambushed at any time. Completely trusting my brothers to guard my back, I let my weapon fall to my chest, supported only by the three point sling around my torso and neck. Swiftly I pulled off my day-pack and yanked out the Valens metal detector. My heart raced as I flipped the switch into the on position and waited for the obnoxious, high-pitched beeping to stop and tell me it was ready. Extreme paranoia built up in my gut as I meticulously swept the door, the detector didn't give off any warnings other than the occasion beep to tell me the battery was still good.

Sighing, I packed it away, in the distance I could hear the cracks and spattering of constant gunfire. It was the second day since we had rushed Fallujah, and we were moving so fast and violently the insurgents couldn't even think Allah before we mowed them down. But the rush had cost us, our supply groups had been left behind while the engineers and grunts had moved steadily forward, leaving nothing but destruction and burnt rubble in our wake. I knew I had to finish quickly, the longer we were in the streets the higher our chances became of getting fucked up.

_ Okay, next step…_ Ever so gently I took off my gloves and set my palms against the door, I couldn't feel any unusual vibrations or heat, I couldn't hear anything either. I stepped away and put my gloves in my pocket, looking bat at my squad I nodded, "Fuck it, yall ready to fuck some ragheads in the ass!" Most of them grinned and yelped excitedly as I shrugged and held up my rifle, then kicked in the door.

Suddenly a bright flash filled my vision and I began coughing violently as I was tackled to the ground, a hajji was standing over me with an AK in his hands, ready to fire before a three round burst knocked him backward with blood spewing from the holes. I was just about to stand when another flash blinded me and the memory faded.

"That's enough o that partner! You sure as hay aint goin nowhere until Celestia decides what to do with you!" I could tell from the tone of her voice that something bad had just happened. My vision cleared and I found myself with my limbs hogtied around my back and a painful hoof digging into my skull. From my limited viewpoint I could see the unicorn sitting on her haunches a ways from us, crying unstoppably into her hooves. The bright pink bruises around her neck told me all that I needed to know, I had lost it during the flashback and the PTSD took over.

My chest was being crushed painfully and I could barely breathe, but I forced in air so I could speak, "Listen! Please, I didn't mean to, it was an accident, I'm sorry!"

The pony on my back only dug her hoof harder into my skull, "Yeh gotta be dumber than a pile o rocks if yeh think ahm gonna believe anything out o that flat gob of yers!"

Out of nowhere, another bright flash appeared and standing right next to the unicorn was a tall, majestic, unicorn? Pegasus? Thing?

I wasn't sure what it was but I could tell it was a mare, but unlike the other unicorn, or Pegasus, this one had both wings and a horn. Her mane flowed elegantly in the breeze and was made up of soft, multi-colored streaks, whereas her mane was a pure white that gleamed in the sun.

Unfortunately, after a brief discussion with the little violet unicorn, she turned toward me, and from the blazing expression of rage and anger that contorted her muzzle I could tell that this wasn't going to end well.

Again I tried to breath, hoping that I could make amends, "Please, it wasn't-," my own scream cut me off as the Stetson wearing mare on my back twisted her hoof so violently that several cracks ran down along my rib cage and the burning agony of multiple broken ribs dominated my mind. Soon I began to lose feeling in my body and I knew that the pain receptors in my mind had just shut down, overloaded from the excruciating pain.

"You may stop Applejack, you do not need this creature's blood on your conscious." The voice drifted into my daze like a warm summer breeze, but with a hint of a storm front brewing just over the horizon.

"But princess, yeh seen what he did tah Twalight, what if he tries tah hurt somepony else!"

Stars and flicks of tiny speeding dots floated through my vision as I tried to remain awake, "Trust me Applejack, I have something special in mind. Go make sure Twilight is okay."

Grunting, I tried to sit up as the pony's surprisingly substantial weight left my back, but found I still couldn't move, except to fall over on my side. My limbs were still hogtied, only now I was facing toward a large orchard of apple trees, but behind me I could hear the soft hiss of grass being pressed down as something approached me.

_Goddamitall! Enough with the bright lights already!_

Said light enveloped me as the orchard disappeared and a loud crack deafened me as the light faded and I found myself staring into a vast expanse of dry, heated, desert floor. Dizzy and sick, I managed to roll on my stomach as I began dry heaving onto the ground. Clenching my eyes shut I just rocked back and forth, waiting for the nausea to pass.

Once again, my best of luck returned to slap me in the face as my brain decided it wanted to turn the pain back on and after screaming in agony for a minute or so my world faded to black. I fought to keep consciousness, knowing I would probably end up a snack for some mythical being that would love nothing better than to pull my skin from in between its teeth as it finished devouring me, but I quickly lost the fight. One last snort of sarcasm escaped my lips as I heard the buzzing of a ridiculously large bug land above me, but I gave up, _so much for a life of quiet peace!_ My head slumped against the hard-packed dirt ground as something began dragging me away.

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**Another Author's Note**

**Just so yall know I don't have PTSD, nor have I been to Afghanistan, or Iraq. I'm using first hand accounts from others who have, to describe the general state of conflict during the time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Nothing pleases an author more than when a reader takes a few minutes out of their day to comment on a story.

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**Second Chances Ch.2: Accepted by those Rejected!**

Groaning I awoke, strangely I was surrounded by comforting warmth, but I couldn't see a damn thing. From the heavy smell of dry earth and gritty dirt crumbs digging into my back I knew I was either underground or in a natural cave.

_But where am I? Fuck it, I might as well stop dickin around and find out…_

I rolled over and pushed myself up, prepared for the wave of pain that past experiences told me would hit after waking up from a blackout. But my expectations proved false as I stood, completely rested and painless. Even the soreness that eternally plagued my joints from years of heavy packs and abuse had vanished.

_Something's off, I shouldn't feel this good…What's that noise?_

Next to me a light chittering had begun to rise intermitted with sporadic buzzing, as if I were surrounded by insects. Cautiously I crouched and took a step, only trip over what I thought was a rock, until it shifted and let out a dark angry squeak. I could feel a hard snout press up against my side and I instinctively shot out my fist to punch it, only to swipe nothing but air.

{Please, I didn't mean to startle you, but you seem agitated, I just wanted to calm you .}

The voice was undeniably feminine, yet had a dark, almost creepy echo behind it. The kind of voice I found extremely attractive…

{I'm pleased you think so, I have never seen a creature like you before, what are you?}

"What the fuck is going on? Who are you?" My voice sounded like an explosion echoing through the cave and an irritated buzzing filled the room.

{Please, not so loud, that hurts. And my brothers are still sleeping, they are easily upset. Use your mind to speak; it is a much more simple method.}

Sighing I rubbed my temples; a headache had begun to worm its way into my skull. _So, you can read my thoughts, what kind of creature are you?_

{No, not your thoughts, unless you choose to communicate them with me. I can feel your emotions and feed off of them, that's how my species survives. We are changelings, I am surprised you have never heard of us.}

I shook my head, this didn't surprise me after the talking ponies, _Very well, I suppose it's too much to ask to leave, I assume I am a prisoner? _

The headache began to grow and I scrunched my brow as I took a knee, I could sense a hint of surprise and concern between our mental link, {Prisoner? No, my mother took you in as a guest. She found you after that horrible Celestia left you in the badlands for dead. I helped heal you, but your emotions are so powerful that she put you to rest in the main chambers of our hive. I can show you the way out if you wish but I can tell you that there will be nowhere to go.}

I hissed in pain and held my head as the headache exploded into a migraine. A soft green glow filled the cavern and I could see the body of the changeling I was talking to as it placed its horn against my forehead. Instantly the pain vanished and the black, pony-like creature disappeared as the light faded.

_Wow, thanks, that feels a lot better, but I really need to go out for some fresh air._

The glow appeared again and the changeling's voice echoed in my head, {I apologize, I didn't realize your mind was unaccustomed to mental links. If you wish to not talk I understand, but I can ease the pain if it becomes too great, follow me and I will show you the way to the surface.}

I stared, somewhat taken aback at the strange form. She vaguely resembled a pony, but instead of a furred coat her skin appeared to be a hard carapace. She had a horn but it was long and jagged, shaped more like a wicked spear than the elegant unicorns' horns, and instead of gentle feathered wings hers were translucent gossamer similar to a bug's and her legs had perfectly round holes in them as if punched through with a drill press.

Curious I followed the glow of her horn as she looked at me shyly and turned towards an inky tunnel, which I assumed to lead to the surface.

The first thing I noticed as I let the cool, brisk air fill my lungs was the freshness of it all. Growing up in a world filled with pollutants and fossil fuels never gave me the chance to realize how good oxygen could actually taste. For a moment I just stretched and watched the bright stars twinkle through the clear night skies as the moon illuminated the arid landscape.

{I see you are feeling much better now. You are indeed a strange creature, how is it that simply breathing makes you so content?}

Somehow, as strange as the changeling's appearance may have been, I felt I could trust her with my thoughts. _I'm a human. Before I came here I lived in a place covered in pollution and sickness. If you ever wanted to even see the stars you had to travel for miles, shit, nobody had time for that so if you were born in a city you could go your whole damn life without seeing a fuckin star. _

She turned and looked at me with her large green eyes, a hint of pity hidden behind them. I couldn't help but think how adorable those eyes were. {I see, it must have been a difficult journey to find Equestria, I have never heard of a place such as you describe. Your language is also very foreign.}

I chuckled a bit and sat down. I wrapped my arms around my knees and the corner of my lip twitched, threatening to smile as a gentle breeze tickled the hair on my arms. _Yea, I guess you could say that. I'm Nathaniel by the way._

The changeling sat down next to me, I couldn't imagine how it could be comfortable sitting with all of your limbs tucked under you, but whatever. {I'm glad to have met you Nathaniel; however changelings do not have names. The males of our species are simply a collective mind of drones and the only one to have a name is our queen, chrysalis.}

I rubbed my forehead, the headache was returning from having another mind connected to my own. _Okay, I get that part about the males, but what about the females?_

She looked back at me, devoid of emotion, {there is only one female, which is the queen.}

The pain began to grow, and I didn't like where this conversation was headed. _So what about you then? Wouldn't you be next in line for queen?_

Impassively she shook her head, {No, it is not time for Chrysalis to die yet and having two queens controlling the hive would cause dysfunction. It is my place to die when I come of age in order to avoid such dilemmas.}

Once again my skull began throbbing in pain from the forming migraine. The changeling placed her horn against my forehead and the green glow illuminated her face and reflected the deep emerald of her eyes as the pain vanished along with the glow. I looked at her in disbelief and shook my head. _That's fucked up, aren't there any other options?_

She sighed and edged closer to me, {there is one, but it is unfavorable. A changeling may choose to attempt to live alone, outside the hive. But this option always ends in a more painful outcome. Changelings feed off emotion, the more positive the emotions the happier the changeling and vice versa. However changelings are hated because of this. Others fear that we actually drain emotions, however that is not true. Neither does it help that our queen attempted to invade the pony kingdom out of desperation so we cannot safely live among them.}

I guess she could feel the outrage that was rising in me because she cuddled closely against my side, trying to calm me down, {it is not so bad, worse things could befall a changeling than a simple death, please let us enjoy this time. I am glad simply to have been able to talk with you for this short while.}

A smile crept across my face as she nuzzled against my ribs. I didn't want to break her mood but I'd be damned if I let the one being in this world who seemed to enjoy my company die because of fucked up traditions. _There's got to be something else we could do, when do you come of age?_

A single tear slid its way down her cheek, the only sign of emotion she had shown since we started talking about this. {Tomorrow, when the sun rises, that will mark my coming of age.}

Sighing, I wrapped my arm around her; I had seen too many lives pointlessly wasted during my previous existences and I refused to let the death follow me. _I have an idea…_

Hope glimmered behind those emerald pools as she stared up at me, {But what other option could there possibly be?}

Something came over me and I ran my hand gently through her messy, bright green mane. _You could choose to leave the hive, but you wouldn't have to be alone, you could stay with me._

Suddenly I found myself on my back, the changeling's muzzle buried in my neck, soaking it in tears. {That would be wonderful, why would you do that for me?}

I thought to myself the same thing, but I already knew why. _Because I'm tired of losing friends, I'm tired of seeing them go and knowing they'll never come back. _

She hugged me tightly and I returned the gesture, and we lay there, under the stars wrapped in each other's warmth. {But where will we go, how would we survive in this desert without the hive?}

Smiling I wiped the tears from her eyes, _that's a special trait that humans have. No matter how bad things seem we manage to come out on top. Leave the details to me and I'll keep you safe._

{Thank you, I know I haven't known you for long but I've never felt this way before, I'm just so grateful.} Suddenly her muzzle was right in my face and the next thing I knew her lips were locked around mine. A brief moment of doubt ran through my mind, but how could I consider this to be wrong, I would be spending the rest of my life here so I may as well enjoy it.

I opened my lips to hers and we kissed, it didn't last long but I could feel her passion, her gratitude. I was swept away in the moment and before I knew it she had pulled away, an aftertaste of icy mint in my mouth and a deep purple blush on her cheeks. {I-I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me, I just-}.

I cut her off with a hug, _it's alright, I don't mind, let's just enjoy the rest of the night and deal with our problems tomorrow._

Her wings buzzed happily and she cuddled against me, {thank you…}

Eventually we fell asleep together, her hooves wrapped around my chest and my arm around her shoulders as we watched the stars twinkle across the sky.

[This plan is a far better solution than the alternate. Every time I must do this to one of my own children it hurts deeply. I would much rather her be with you than on her own or dead.] The changeling queen took the plan with much more enthusiasm that I would have guessed possible.

After the sun had risen and we had returned, the queen had asked her daughter whether she chose excommunication or death. Much to my surprise the queen looked devastated after her daughter chose the former. However, after we had explained the plan she seemed more than happy to let us go. My confusion must have seeped through our temporary link and she pulled me aside afterward to talk privately.

[I can sense your confusion, what troubles you, human?]

I rubbed the now-familiar ache in my head, _well where I come from two people in line for power usually don't let the other just leave without bloodshed. _

The evil looking queen proved my assumptions wrong with her reply. [I have learned from past mistakes that bloodshed is not a favorable solution to problems. However harsh our way of life may seem to you, each and every one of these changelings are my children and it pains me when their life ends, especially if I am the one who must end it.]

I nodded, _if your species is so peaceful then why are the ponies so racist?_

Chrysalis looked at me in confusion, [What does this word mean, racist?]

Chuckling, I scratched my head. I guess our languages were slightly different. _It means that one group of people hate another group because they're different._

[I see now. That is because we did not always think this way. Before my invasion of Canterlot failed, it was my belief that the strongest emotion to feed on was hatred and fear, thus we acted accordingly and many came to hate us.]

_Wow, that sucks dick. Maybe I can help once your daughter and I leave._

Again she looked at me confused, [I apologize, what is a dick? And how could you help?]

I laughed and explained it to her and was rewarded by a slight blush. _But once I find a place for us to live I can get into the pony cities and spread the word that changelings aren't bad._

[This boon would be more than I could ask for, but I have kept you waiting long enough and my daughter seems to be growing anxious. I wish luck on your journey.]

I nodded and rubbed my head as a migraine pounded in my skull. I suppressed the pain and stumbled through the dark, reaching for the queen's daughter with my mind, not knowing if it would actually work. Surprisingly, I felt her familiar voice in my head.

{Don't worry I am here.} A green glow appeared in the darkness and I walked to her as she removed the pain. {Better?}

I smiled and nodded, _yea, the pain's not as bad as it was though, should we head out?_

She kissed me lightly on the cheek as she hugged me and we headed toward the exit, {let us depart, I am sad that I must leave my family, it is strange no longer being connected to their emotions, but I am excited to see what else this world holds.}


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **This chapter would have been out weeks ago, unfortunately I fell violently ill and it took a while to recover and now that summer is near I'll have a lot less time to write so don't get excited waiting for new chapters. But the one upside is that this chapter will be a little longer than the previous two. I'll write when I can but the Marine Corps don't give a fuck about our personal lives, so please read and reviews are greatly appreciated. If you like it then spread the word to your friends, I'm trying to spread my work a bit.

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**Chapter Three: Finding A Home**

It had been several weeks since Dark Dance (she had chosen the name shortly after we had left) and I had made our way into the desert to find ourselves a new home. So far we were having a great time, despite the dry heat and freezing nights. Every day I spent with her I felt as if we were becoming more and more connected, especially after I stopped getting headaches from her being in my head.

Finally, after a month of traveling over the hard-packed badlands we came upon the edge of the barren landscape just as the sun began to sink over the horizon. The rock filled earth gradually gave way to lush plains of flowing grass as far as the eye could see. We looked at each other and smiled; in the distance I spotted faint lights coming from what could only be a settlement.

_Well Dark Dance, I think this would be a nice spot to relax for the night. _

She looked at me, her eyes drooping a bit, not used to the long walks as much as I was. {Yes, I agree. This area seems so peaceful and the grass is soothing.}

Settling in for the night was a simple task, seeing as I had no belongings other than the tan digital patterned cammies I was sent here with, all we had to do was lie down and snuggle next to each other to keep warm. Back in the desert finding shelter was no problem as it never rained, but here it looked very similar to my home on earth and there was a heavy mass of dark brooding clouds slowly making its way from the direction of the town. It would be here by tomorrow evening and hopefully we could make it to the town in time.

However I pushed the worries aside for tomorrow, I had better things to think about, like the changeling who was sitting cutely with her legs tucked under her, looking at me with expectancy. I grinned and took off my blouse and used it as a blanket as we cuddled together in the tall grass.

She untucked her legs and squirmed closely to my body and wrapped my arms around her. {As painful as the experience must have been for you I am glad that you came here, I have never felt such happiness before.} She turned her head and her electric emerald eyes locked with mine as we briefly kissed.

Smiling, I ran my hand through her mane and she sighed contentedly, _So am I. _

During our time spent together we had grown intimately close, even to the point where she could not only feel my thoughts and emotions, but I could feel hers as well, even from a short distance. Her happiness was evident, even without our connection and that made me happy as I rested my head against hers.

Contentedly we lay together, watching the moon as it rose in the star-filled sky. I gently rubbed her belly and she giggled as she snuggled closer, nuzzling her head into my chest. It wasn't long before she fell asleep and I joined her, drifting off into the world of dreams.

Gering, Nebraska 2012

I pushed open the glass paned double doors into the monument mall, a deceptive name for the small one-story shopping center. With my head low and my black hoodie pulled down to cover my acne-riddled face I slowly dragged my feet heading toward game-force, the cleverly named used game store. Shadily I swung my head left and right, looking for anyone I went to school with so I could avoid them, avoid being made fun of for my social awkwardness. I pushed my glasses up from sliding down my nose and slipped my hand into my pocket, making sure the measly twenty dollar bill I had managed to save up was still there.

I paid little attention to the small assortment of food joints and clothing stores as I crossed the central intersection of the mall. No matter how many shops and stands I ignored there was always one obscure corner that caught my eye. Located in the very back of the mall, next to JC-Penny, was a plain white wall with an entrance leading to where I could not guess. The only indication that there was anything even there was a small advertisement on a post that said, Armed Forces Recruitment Center.

My older brother had joined as soon as he got out of school, four years before I graduated, and left me alone. Alone with four siblings, me being stuck in the middle, and an abusive father and a mother who only wanted me to reflect well upon her. No one cared about my existence, except when I showed up home late, with a report card saying I had failed nearly every class. Ever since then I had held a strong resentment toward him but angrily I shook it off, this was the year I graduated and I would move out, even if I didn't have a job, or money, or friends, even if I had to be a hobo I would get away.

Then again, I looked back at the recruiting entrance and shrugged, "Fuck it."

I turned down the hallway and made my way to the recruiting station. I turned and was faced with a long hallway; all of the branches had office doors on either side. Shrugging, nothing to lose, I chose the first one, MARINE CORPS.

I opened the door and was greeted by fading moonlight.

Wearily I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked at the sky, the stars were still out but the moon had disappeared over the horizon. My internal clock told me it was about 0500, give or take half an hour. I let out a puff of breath and rested my head against Dark Dance's warm mane. Luckily the air had already gotten warmer since we had left the desert so I was able to comfortably rest for a few minutes. However restless boredom soon began gnawing at my bones, my body wouldn't let me sleep more than five hours at a time unless I was in a bed, so I slowly stood up, careful to not wake my partner and left my blouse on top of her.

Calmly I meandered through the grass, this place reminded me so much of the home that I left behind, even the rain-washed crevices and gullies cut into the rolling hills were similar. I laughed sarcastically and sat down on the edge of a deep gap, simply enjoying the peace of the natural landscape. Not once did I regret leaving, once in a while a nostalgic tugging brought back memories of the freedom of the open, windswept seas of grass, but nothing would convince me to return to that hateful, traditionalist society.

I sat that way pondering deep in endless thoughts, waiting for the morning to come. Slowly the sun's orange glow crested the horizon and spread its warm light across the plains. The rays filtered through the storm-front, which had grown noticeably closer during the night and made it look like a wall of fiery coals. I sighed and rested on my back for a few minutes, the sun had finally risen above the world and I felt a slight sense of worry in my head.

{Nathaniel, where are you?}

Soothingly I smiled, knowing she could feel my contentment, _It's alright, I just went for a little walk, I'll be back in a few seconds._

I pushed myself to my feet and made my way back to Dark Dance my hands drifted through the swaying sea of green surrounding me, she was snuggled cutely under my blouse, with only her head poking out and her fore hooves holding it around her. Chuckling I wrapped the blouse around her and picked her up in my arms, cradling her like a newborn foal. She giggled and blushed as her snake-like tongue flicked across the thick hair covering my jawline.

{Put me down! I will not be carried off like a helpless foal! Besides,} she giggled again, miserably failing her attempt at mock anger, {your face is scratchy.}

Laughing, I put her down and unwrapped her from my blouse, after I put it on and buttoned it; I ran my hand across my neck and cheeks. I hadn't shaved once since I came back to life and it was out of control, I hoped ponies used razors.

_Wow, your right, plus I need a bath._

{Yes, you do, as do I, these days of traveling are starting to reek.}

We both looked at each other and laughed. Neither of us had been able to wash in the badlands and now that a gentle breeze whispered across the plains my nose cleared enough to smell the stench of sweat and body odor. I ran my hand lovingly through her flowing mane as we began on our way toward the settlement.

We had set a steady pace for the town and shared our memories and feelings along the way to occupy the time and grow closer. She had learned of humans and our vices, as well as my poor childhood and in turn I learned about some of the magics and gentle customs of this peaceful land. By the time we had finished sharing our memories nearly half a day had passed and as I looked up I could clearly make out the town. It was a western styled village surrounded by fields of what I assumed to be alfalfa and hay. Scanning my thoroughly I could make out the forms of ponies walking through the dusty streets, going about their daily business, many of them appeared to be in a hurry, probably to escape the oncoming storm.

{Um, Nathaniel?} I looked back at Dark Dance and noticed she had stopped and was staring at the ground nervously, digging a shallow rut in the ground with her hoof.

I could feel her fear of the hate that ponies fostered towards changelings. Brief images of scowling crowds and angry mobs raced through our connection; _I agree that it may not be the best idea if they see your true self just yet. But don't worry, I'll always be with you, just give it time and they're sure to warm up._

Shakily she nodded and balanced on her rear hooves to hug me {Thank you, you always know what to say.}

After so many shared thoughts I had learned why changelings were called changelings, at first it bothered me when she had transformed to show me how it worked, but it didn't take long for me to get over it, however I still thought her true form was the most attractive.

She smiled at my thoughts and blushed, then an eerie green glow surrounded her as she shifted into a pony version of herself. Her coat was black and her mane was a soft shade of light green and her horn shrank until it was straight. After she had finished she appeared to be a normal unicorn.

She walked ahead of me and flicked me seductively with her tail as she passed, swaying her hips. {So, what do you think?}

I knew that she had chosen a close as form as possible just to tease me, _I like it, but you're just teasing me, you know how much I love you no matter what you look like._ She smiled suddenly and hugged me; my feelings for her caused her no end of love.

Finally she let go after kissing me heavily and we made our way toward the town. She was trotting slightly in front of me and I noticed something on her flank, at first I thought it was a tattoo. It was a clear yellow outline of a jagged quarter note. _Do ponies have tattoos here?_

She looked at me questioningly and I rolled up my sleeve to show her the black tribal scorpion permanently engraved on my forearm, just above my wrist, she peered at it with interest as I explained. _It's an image that humans can pay to have engraved in our skin to represent something meaningful. _

{It sounds very similar but here it's called a cutie mark, changelings don't get them. But for ponies it's a mark that appears naturally after they discover their special talent. Everypony has one except for young fillies, so it would be strange for me to not have one in this form as well.}

I nodded and rolled my sleeve back down, _makes sense_.

Just as we were about to reach the town thunder rumbled overhead and a heavy drizzle began pattering down upon us. The closer we neared the town the heavier it rained, until we were sprinting through a torrential wall of freezing water. Finally we reached a muddy dirt road and found what appeared to be a bar, with a wide awning covering the porch. Panting, we took cover under it and caught our breath. With the thunder, lightning and rain also came wind and it quickly sent chills running through our bones. Dark Dance had never been in this kind of storm before and began shivering heavily, slowly I could feel her thoughts begin to close off from the shock.

Quickly I ripped off my blouse and pulled my somewhat-dry, olive green undershirt over my head. Wasting no time I wrapped it around her and hugged her closely, spreading whatever warmth left in my body to her. My blouse I left hanging on the rail, it was already soaked and would only make the cold worse, even if I didn't have a shirt on.

I cradled her closely in my arms, trying to keep her from going into shock, _Hey, can you hear me, you gotta' stay calm; don't let it get to you, just focus on the warmth._

However her shivering only got worse and her emotions were dulled and numb, even her mental voice was weak. {I-it's so cold- please-do not leave-}

Quickly I cut her off, opening all my emotion to her, how much I loved her, _I will never leave you, I'll always be here, no matter what. _

Suddenly I was hit with the realization that the possibility of losing her was all too real. A chill colder and deeper than any amount of rain rose up in my gut, I could not let her die! I took a vital moment to clear my head and forced back the feeling of dread, knowing it would only bring harm to the changeling I was cradling in my arms. There was nothing I could do in this condition, I needed help and I put everything I had into the feral scream that carried even through the thunderous bass of the storm.

"SOMEBODY HELP! I NEED HELP, ANYBODY PLEASE!"

A glimmer of hope sparked in my chest as I saw several lights shine through the windows of the houses nearest to me and several ponies peered into the storming darkness, searching for the source of desperation.

"Over here! Git yerself inside, quick-like!" Immediately I sprinted to the nearest house on the other side of the street from which a young, light-brown (almost orange) mare with a blonde mane and tail was waving. As soon as I ran into the light the heavily accented mare gasped in shock.

"What in tarnation-?!" The pleading desperation in my eyes immediately stopped her and she saw the unicorn form of Dark Dance begin to spasm in my arms.

"Please, she's exhausted and went into shock right after we got caught in the storm." the mare nodded and rushed us inside.

"Don't yall fret none, it'll be alright. Just you wait here while I grab some blankets, lay her down on that there couch and keep her warm as best yeh can."

I nodded and sat on the sofa as I cradled a shivering Dark Dance in my arms, whispering words of encouragement in her ears and opening my emotions to her as I held her tightly. It didn't take long before the earth mare came rushing back into the living room with a stack of blankets on her back.

"Here yeh go, these oughta do just nicely." She snatched the blanket from the top of the pile in her mouth and held it out to me.

"Thank you." I snatched the blanket up in my hand and wrapped it loosely around the shivering changeling. The light brown mare held out another one for me and I gratefully wrapped it around my shoulders as she hurried off down the hallway.

I spent several minutes whispering to Dark Dance and holding her comfortingly as her spams gradually died into a slight trembling and finally stopped as her chest began to rise and fall with deep, steady breaths. When I was sure the danger had passed I sighed heavily and leaned back against the soft cushions.

I looked up as the mare returned with a two steaming cups of what smelled like hot chocolate on a tray held in her teeth. She set the tray down on a small glass table in front of the sofa and somehow offered me one with her hoof. I accepted it with a nod and a hint of puzzlement as to how she could hold on to the cup without fingers but I shook it off.

"Thank you, I don't know what I would have done without help."

She smiled and nodded, but still looked at me warily as I brought the mug to my lips and took a sip and it found it was the best hot cocoa I had ever tasted, "Wow, this is really good."

She took a sip of her own before answering carefully, "Ahm glad yeh like it, but I got some questions fer you now."

I nodded in understanding, knowing the type of questions she was going to ask, "Okay, watcha wanna know?"

She took another sip, "Well, fer starters what in tarnation kind of creature are yeh and where do yeh come from?"

I took a moment before answering. I didn't want to lie but I know that none of the ponies would take kindly to learning I had lived with changelings, so I decided to settle with a half-truth, "I'm a human and I came here with my friend Dark Dance from beyond the badlands."

Her gaze was skeptical as she scrutinized me, "Beyond the badlands yeh say? Well I've seen just what sort of evil creatures come from those bone-dry lands, an I reckon I aint never seen something like you before."

I ran my hand through my unacceptably-long, soaked hair and pushed it out of my face, "Well that's because as far as I know I'm the only one of my kind here."

She seemed taken aback for a second, "Oh, ahm rightly sorry, it must be lonely then with no friends."

I smiled and shook my head as I hid my true feelings, "It's not so bad, I have Dark Dance after all." But still, back on earth in the Marine Corps I was always surrounded by my brothers and now that she had reminded me of my loss of companionship I felt more alone than ever.

We sat for a few minutes in silence as the harsh rain pattered down against the roof and muted thunder boomed outside. I felt slightly at ease now that Dark Dance was breathing normally and seemed to have fallen into a peaceful sleep in my arms. After a while I decided to break the silence with small talk.

"I'm sorry, I completely forgot my manners, my name's Nathaniel and again I'm really thankful you let us stay here."

"Well Nathaniel, it's a pleasure tah meet yah, mah name's Apple Cobbler." She held out a hoof and we shook hands as we finished our drinks, "So where abouts was yall headed to afore the storm hit, if ya don't mind mah askin?"

I stayed silent for a moment, wondering what I should tell her. She seemed trustworthy enough and I did owe her for letting us in so I decided honesty would be the best policy, "Well, to tell the truth Dark Dance an I had to leave, things with her folks were getting a little…complicated, so we really were lookin for somewhere to settle down."

Apple Cobbler scrutinized me with her light, crystal blue eyes, "Ah think ah see what yeh mean, yall are sweet on each other am ah right?"

I scratched my head nervously and the heat of a slight blush warmed my cheeks. I wasn't sure what the native ponies thought about an interspecies relation but the truth had been working well for me so far. "Yeah."

She just gave a slight shrug, I could tell she expected me to deny it, but she recovered amiably, "Well, love is love ah suppose an there aint no stopping it. Ahm not sure about most folks but around here we don't like judgin too much by looks."

I nodded in relief; glad that it might be a little easier to get along here with ponies than wherever it was when I first arrived.

Apple Cobbler gave a loud yawn and sighed, "Well, ahm glad tah have met yall, Nathaniel, but it's about time we got some shut eye. Me an mine are gonna have a right ole time trying tah clean up after this, an you look like you haven't had a few good winks in a while."

I chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, you're right, see you in the morning." This Apple Cobbler was by far one of the nicest ponies I had met, but she had a keen attention to detail that I would have to be careful of.

With that she clip-clopped her way to wherever she slept and I gratefully stretched out across the too small couch with my feet hanging over the edge and Dark Dance resting comfortably on my chest. It wasn't long until the gentle drumming of the rain and howling wind sent me drifting off into sleep.

Unknown Town, 30mi. South of Camp Devildog, Afghanistan

*BANG BANG*

The reports of gunfire echoed through the small grouping of peasant housing as my squad leader dropped the hajji trying to run for cover by diving into the small building that we had stacked in front of. As the first fire team leader of second squad, I was stacked directly behind Corporal Brenton, the squad leader. His features were obscured by a coyote brown neck gator and the ugly wide goggles that kept the constant flow of stinging dirt out of our eyes, but I knew he would be frowning.

With their shoulders pressed tight against the wall my fire team waited for me.

"READY?!" My voice was inconsiderably loud, but out here you had to be. Any miscommunication would cause the death of not only you but to the Marines to your left and right as well.

Without turning Corporal Brenton shouted back, "READY!"

Quickly, but carefully I pulled one of two M67 frag grenades from the small pouches woven through the molle on my flak, using my off hand to shove it in front of him to clearly see, the hand wrapped around the lower receiver of my M16 never left the grip of my weapon.

He shouted again, "Ready!"

I brought the grenade back to my chest and swiftly swept off the first safety clip, removing the first of four safeties emplaced in all hand grenades. "SAFETY OFF!"

I didn't even wait for the small brass clip to hit the ground before my hand had already removed the next piece, the confidence clip. "CLIP OUT!"

In the total of three seconds I was ready to pull the pin, "GO, GO, GO!"

Instantly my squad leader ferociously kicked open the door with a heavy boot and planted himself on the other side of the door as I looped my finger through the pin of the grenade. Violently I ripped the pin out and ignored the painful redness the effort left on my finger, "GRENADE! GRENADE! GRENADE!"

Slowly I woke to the sound of a heavy thud rolling across a wooden floor quickly followed by several loud banging noises coming from above. My brain didn't even follow a thought process before I had leapt from the couch and dived out the large living room window and into the street, war-crying like a madman. "GET DOWN, GRENADE!"

I was lying flat on my stomach, my hands covering my neck for nearly five seconds before I realized where I was. Awkwardly I stood up and blushed; ponies going up and down the street had stopped to stare at me in a mixture of fright and puzzlement.

Stiffly I cleared my throat and gave what I hoped was a friendly smile, "Sorry about that ladies and gents, false alarm. Don't mind me." Hesitantly they went back about their business for the day.

{Nathaniel are you alright!?"} It had been too long since I had felt that voice in my head and I whirled around to see Dark Dance glancing between me and the shattered window,

_Uh, yea sorry about that, it's called PTSD._

She scrunched her brow in confusion and I opened a memory to her of the medical disorder. A wave of sadness swept over me through our link and I smiled as I re-entered the house and wrapped her up in my arms and kissed her on the nose. _Don't worry, it's been getting a lot better since I came here._

She giggled as I set her down and ran my fingers through her sleek emerald mane and I jumped a little as someone shouted from behind us, "Wha-what in tarnation happened to mah window!?"

I shrugged and put on an apologetic face, "It was my fault, I freaked out over nothing and overreacted by jumping through it."

She sighed and shook her head, about to retort angrily before Dark Dance jumped to my defense, "Please Apple Cobbler, he really didn't mean to, it's a medical condition he suffers from, besides I can fix the window for you."

Without waiting for a reply Dark Dance closed her eyes and focused as a lime-green aura surrounded her horn and the corresponding shards of glass scattered haphazardly across the ground. The pieces rose from the dirt and floated toward the frame, rearranging themselves like puzzle pieces to fit back into their respective places perfectly in the wooden trim.

Dark Dance eyed her handiwork with a hint of pride and Apple Cobbler looked at her in amazement. I protectively stepped in front of my marefriend, unsure of the reason for Apple Cobbler's reaction, Dark Dance blushed shyly and I broke Apple Cobbler out of her trance.

"Hey, you alright there?"

She shook her head and shuffled her hooves awkwardly, "Uh yea, sorry about that, it's just that folks round here aint used ta seeing magic. Anyway, thanks for fixin mah window, but ah suppose yall be movin on soon aint yeh?"

Dark Dance and I looked at each other, {What do you think Nathaniel? It would be alright if we stayed here for a while don't you think?"}

I looked back at Apple Cobbler, answering back with my mind. _I think that's a great idea._

"Actually, like I said last night we were looking for a place to settle down. I don't suppose you know of anyone that's got a house or some land for sale do you? And I'll need to find some way to make money to."

The blond earth pony thought for a moment and I took the time to notice that the noise this morning was coming from ponies on the roof hammering shingles down. However Apple Cobbler finally spoke up, drawing my focus back to her.

"Actually, mah husband and I own a few hay fields jes outside of town an we could always use a few more strong hands, as fer a place to stay yeh can bunk down in the spare bedroom while yeh work on findin some place to call yer own."

Dark Dance looked at me with excitement filling her shining emerald eyes, {We finally have a home!}

I laughed quietly, _yes, we do, I think we'll be happy here._

Apple Cobbler held out her hoof and we shook, "Well ah gotta get ta work, the rest of the day is yers but tomarra we get up bright an early to harvest an clean the fields, ah hope yer not scared of a little sweat and grit."

I laughed and shook my head as we parted, "Not at all."

Sighing happily I looked at Dark Dance and she jumped up and pulled me into a hug as we kissed, _So, what do you want to do?_

She broke the kiss and let me go as she started walking toward the street and I followed her. {Well, I think it would be a good idea to explore and get to know some of the ponies around here.}

I nodded, _Makes sense, _and followed her as we walked along in a contented silence.

It didn't take long before the sun began to sink over the burning orange horizon and we made our way back to Apple Cobbler's house after a day of meeting new ponies and getting to know the layout of the town, which wasn't very difficult as it was a small town.

We arrived and knocked on the door, which was soon answered by the tan earth pony herself, "Well come on in yall, don't yeh worry none about knockin seein as yer gonna be livin here for a bit. Here ah'll show yeh were yer gonna be sleepin then yeh can get washed up an ah'll introduce yeh to the rest of the family at dinner."

We followed her though the house and up a flight of wooden stairs that led to a hallway with three doors alternately set into the wall, the earth pony nodded to the first one, "That there is mah colts' room. Apple Cider an Apple Breeze are ah pair of rascals but they're good kids, this here is yall's room."

She stopped in front of the second door and opened it for us, it was adorned with a few flowers and a painting on the wall. Other than that it was Spartan with only a queen sized bed and a desk with a mirror on it and a small window covered by light yellow curtains overlooking the vast plains.

After a moment she turned to leave, "and that last door is where you'll find the bathroom, dinner'll be ready in a few so jes wash up an come on down when ya'll are ready."

We thanked her as she walked back downstairs and Dark Dance and I both headed for the bathroom to wash up.

The bathroom was about average sized, even by human standards. I sighed as I took off my cammies and glanced at Dark Dance who was eyeing me curiously, a slight blush glowing under her dark fur as my toned muscles were revealed. I was by no means a muscular guy, but being in the Marine left me no time to get fat or out of shape, which Dark Dance didn't fail to comment on as I removed my olive green silkies.

{I didn't realize humans were so muscular.}

I laughed as her eyes trailed over my body, stopping at my waist to take in the sight of my well-endowed genitals. _Well not all humans are, my I had to keep in shape because of my job, shall we?_

I held back the shower curtain and offered my hand out to her as she took it and stepped into the shower and I followed. Luckily the knobs were arranged the same in this world as they were in mine and I set the water to a nice, steamy temperature.

I rubbed her down and ran some sort of pony shampoo through her coat, mane and tail as the water washed away all the grime and stench of travelling for so long. She moaned and leaned into contentedly as my fingers brushed through her mane and coat.

{Your fingers feel so good, I wish you would never have to stop.}

Smiling I sank to the high-kneeling position and started kissing her neck, she sighed and pulled my face to hers as she brought her soft velvety lips to meet my own. I pushed my tongue into her mouth and she twitched in pleasure as she pushed began and began twirling our tongues around in a game of blissful tag.

My hands had begun to glide their way down her body when suddenly we were interrupted by a loud southern voice calling from downstairs.

"Dinner's on everypony, come an get it!"

We both finished our kiss and looked at each other sadly as we pulled away.

_Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time later to finish. _

She giggled cutely and nuzzled my soaked chest as I stood up and turned off the water. We stepped out of the shower and I grabbed a towel and began drying her fur. I laughed as it instantly fluffed up, just like a dog, she giggled too and shook out the rest of the water as her fur laid back down.

I had just finished drying myself as Dark Dance headed for the door and I looked belatedly at my cammies. The green MARPAT uniform was bundled in a heap on the floor still covered in the sweat and stink of our long travels.

_Go ahead honey, I'll be down in a minute, I have to wash these things first._

{Okay, I'll be sure to save you some food.} With that she pecked me with a light kiss and made her way downstairs.

I grabbed up my clothes and chuckled to myself as I turned the water back on and began hand washing them. Before the Marine Corps I had been nothing more than a sheltered brat who thought the world owed him something just because he existed. I couldn't even imagine my old self washing anything, let alone a military uniform by hand, but now I did it like it was a daily chore (which it was back in boot camp).

It didn't even take ten minutes to wash out the majority of grime in my cammies and soon I was wringing them out and drying them as best I could with a towel. They weren't starched or pressed, but they were acceptable.

I made my way downstairs after I had dressed myself to find that the others were already talking amiably and enjoying what appeared to be a meal consisting of apple pies, fritters, and some sides of hay and flowers.

I sat down next to Dark Dance and quietly ate some apple pie that had been passed to me. Needless to say it was delicious and it wasn't long before I had finished two more helpings. Finally I stopped as I could feel my stomach expanding. Eventually we had all finished our meal and we sat by idly chatting. Apple Fritter introduced us to her sons and husband and I answered many questions pertaining to my home. I answered most of them honestly, leaving out the fact that I was from another world of course.

As the night wore on our conversations gradually died down and Dark Dance let out a massive yawn. My lips curled into a small smile of happiness as she snuggled into me. I wrapped her in my arms and stood up.

"Well everybody-or-everypony I guess I should say, I gotta be up bright an early tomorrow and Dark Dance here is pretty worn out, yall have a good night."

They all replied the same and I headed upstairs to our bedroom with my, marefriend? In my arms.

I laid her down on the bed and undressed to my silkies and crawled in next to her, she turned towards me and rested her head on my chest. {So what are you going to do tomorrow?}

I ran my fingers through her silky green mane and snuggled into her, _after work I'm going to see if I can't find a tailor and a barber, then after that I suppose it's just save up until I can find or build our own house._

Dark Dance smiled and I held her closely, {I love you.}

_I love you too._

Slowly she fell asleep to the beating of our hearts and rhythmic breathing. I didn't know what the future would hold, but I did know that I wouldn't let anything come between me and my love. I could finally be happy here and nothing was going to ruin that for me.

It wasn't long until I followed her into slumber, a dreamless peaceful sleep with no explosions or deaths or nightmares.


End file.
